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| The Forger's Spell: A True Story of Vermeer, Nazis, and the Greatest Art Hoax of the Twentieth Century | 
 enlarge | Author: Edward Dolnick
Publisher: Harper
Category: Book
List Price: $26.95
Buy New: $14.62
You Save: $12.33 (46%)
Buy New/Used from $13.49
Avg. Customer Rating:  (13 reviews)
Sales Rank: 4109
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 368
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.5
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6.4 x 1.5
ISBN: 0060825413
Dewey Decimal Number: 759.9492
EAN: 9780060825416
ASIN: 0060825413
Publication Date: July 1, 2008
Release Date: June 24, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
As riveting as a World War II thriller, The Forger's Spell is the true story of Johannes Vermeer and the small-time Dutch painter who dared to impersonate him centuries later. The con man's mark was Hermann Goering, one of the most reviled leaders of Nazi Germany and a fanatic collector of art. It was an almost perfect crime. For seven years a no-account painter named Han van Meegeren managed to pass off his paintings as those of one of the most beloved and admired artists who ever lived. But, as Edward Dolnick reveals, the reason for the forger's success was not his artistic skill. Van Meegeren was a mediocre artist. His true genius lay in psychological manipulation, and he came within inches of fooling both the Nazis and the world. Instead, he landed in an Amsterdam court on trial for his life. ARTnews called Dolnick's previous book, the Edgar Award-winning The Rescue Artist, "the best book ever written on art crime." In The Forger's Spell, the stage is bigger, the stakes are higher, and the villains are blacker.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 8 more reviews...
 Spell? August 15, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Interesting, but many parts are boring. Seems to repeat the same things over and over again.
Book club recommends August 12, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
My book club read this, and even those who did not expect to enjoy this book found it to be engaging, enjoyable, and well written. Sometimes one thread of the story seemed too dominant, but all in all we recommend it.
 The Real Thing August 5, 2008
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
Every bit as well-written and insightful as The Rescue Artist--a gem of a story from start to finish.
Riveting August 5, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Fascinating book. I love the way this author tells the story. He's so smart and witty, with a terrific love of language. It is a pleasure to be in his company as he guides us through the worlds of forgers, art and World War II Holland.
A couple of things stand out. The story is set against the backdrop of Hitler, Goering and occupied Holland, and the time and place come to life vividly through telling details, e.g., "the Dutch had choked down 'roof rabbit' --dog or cat --" and "Germany snatched a hundred thousand bicycles from their Dutch owners in order to reuse the metal." Rarely has history been so compelling to me.
Secondly, the psychological underpinnings are astutely explored. We come to see how this forger was able to cast his spell on Goering and the art world. Dolnick describes a phenomenon known as the Uncanny Valley, where an imitation so closely resembles a real thing that we instinctively recoil. Far better and more believable, the forger discovers, to create a work that resembles a great piece, but differs from it. I loved this book and didn't want it to end.
wonderful! August 1, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I'm an artist and I am fascinated with all aspects painting including forgers and forgeries. This book is a page turner. Dolnick's approach is insightful, intelligent and free of jargon. He's combined the history of the second world war with the current school of thought on human nature. I loved this book, couldn't put it down and have ordered "The Rescue Artist". JL
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